Ukraine's Ministry of Infrastructure will study the privatization of state stevedoring companies, Infrastructure Minister Andriy Pyvovarsky has said at a briefing in Kyiv.

"Today I would like to start a public discussion regarding the privatization of state stevedoring companies. I met with the representatives of economic entities, maritime trade unions in Odesa and I wanted to discuss this issue. I was afraid of how the trade unions would react to the idea of privatizing state stevedoring companies, and I was surprised when the representatives of all trade unions asked me when the discussion of state stevedores privatization will start," the minister said.

According to him, experts are invited to discuss the issue.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, after a meeting of business representatives with First Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Shulmeister, reported that the results of seaports' operations for the few past years show that state stevedoring companies are losing their market share, while private stevedores which work both with private and public moorings are increasing cargo handling.